Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-05-20

une understanding OF those around her. An!
if only this perfect love of which she had
read so much would come to him and her, life
might perhaps grow worth the living
IL Is "a curious thing, bnt in such matters
most men never learn wisdom from expert
| ence. A man of John Niel's age might have
| guessed that it is dangerous work playing
with explosives, and that the quietest, most
| harmless looking substances are sometimes
| the most explosive. He might have known
that to set to work to cultivate the society OF
a woman with such telltae eyes as Jess was
| TO run the risk of catching the fire from them
| himself, to say nothing of setting her alight
J he might have known that to bring all the
| weight of his cultivated mind to bear on her
! mind, to take the deepest interest in her
studies, to iinplore her to let him see the
| poetry Bessie told him she wrote, but which
she would show to no living soul, and to
evince the most evident delight in her singing
were one and all dangerous things to do; and
yet he did them and thought no harm.
As for Bessie she was delighted that her
sister should have found anybody whom she
cared to talk TO or who could understand her
1t never occurred to her that jess might fall
in love- jess was the last person in the world
to fall in love- Nor did she calculate what
the results might be to John. As yet, at any
| rate, she had no interest in Capt Niel-of
| course not
And so things went on pleasantly enough
| to all concerned in this drama till one fine
| day when the storm clouds began to gather.
| John had been about the farm as usual till
dinner time, after which he took his gun and
| told Jantje to saddle up his shooting pony
| He was standing on the veranda, waiting for
the pony to appear, and by him was Bessie
| looking particularly attractive in white
dress, when suddenly he caught sight of
Frank Muller's great black horse, and that
gentleman himself upon it, cantering up the
avenue of blue gums
"Hullo, Miss Bessie, he said, "here comes
your friend
Bother said Bessie, stamping her foot
and then, with quick look, "Why do you
call him my friendf'
| II imagine that he considers himself so, to
jhlge from the number of times a week he
comes to see YOU" he answered, with a shrug
"At any rate, he isn't mine, SO l am off
shooting. Good-by. / hope that you will
enjoy yourself"
"You are not kind, )" she said, in a low voice,
| and turning her back on him.
In another moment he was gone, and Frank
Muller had arrived.
How do YOU do, Miss Bessie!" he said
| u
| man who had been accustomed to rough
| riding all his life. "Where is the rooibaatje
off tol"
Capt. Mel is going out shooting" she said
coldly.
| "Ah, so much the better for you and me,
Miss Bessie! We can have a pleasant talk.
| Where is that black monkey, Jantjel Here,
Jantje, take my horse, you ugly devil, and
| mind YOU Nok after him. or I'll cut the liver
out of your
| jamie took the horse, with a forced grin of
| appreciation at the joke, and led him off
| round the house.
81 don't think that jamie likes you, Mein-
| heer Muller" said Bessie, sptefully, "and
| don't wonder at it if you talk to him like
! that. He told me the other day that he had
| known you for twenty years" and she looked
at linn inquiringly.
This casual remark produced a remarkable
effect on the visitor, who turned color be-
rcath his tanned skin.
He lies the black hound" he said "and
I'll put a bullet through him if he says it
again! What should l know about him or
he about me? Can I keep count of every
miserable man monkey / meetl" and he NUT
tered a string of Dutch oaths into his long
| beard.
| uielllHttT. Stlu bessie.
"Why do you call me menheerr" he
asked, turning so fercely on her that she
started back n step. II tell you l am not n
Boer. / am an Englishman My mother was
| English; and besides, thanks to Lord Carnar-
Won, we are all English now"
II don't see why you should mind being
thought Boer," she said, coolly; there are
| some very good people among the Beers, and,
| besides, you used to be a great 'patriot.'n
| used to be-yes; and so the trees used to
| bend to the north when the wind blew that
way, but now they bend to the SOUTH for the
wind has turned By and by it may set to
the north again-that is another matter
then we shall see."
Bessie made no answer, beyond pursuing up
her pretty mouth and slowly picking leaf
from the vine that trailed overhead.
The big Dutchman took off his hat and
stroked his beard perplexedly. Evidently he
was meditating something that he was afraid
to say Twice he fixed his cold eyes on
Bessies fair face, and twice looked down
again. The second time she took alarm
-Excuse mo one minute" she said, and
made as though to enter the house.
"Wacht cen beeche' wait a Bit, he ejacu-
lated, breaking into Dutch in his aNtation,
and even catching hold of her white dress
WIN his Dig nand.
She drew the dress from him with n quick
twist of her 1.-the form, and turned and faced
him.
Il beg your pardon" she said, in a tone
that could not be called encouraging; "you
We're going to say something
"Yes-ah, that isl was going to say"
and he paused
Bessie stood with polite look of expecta-
ton on her face, and waited.
81 was going to say-that in short, that l
want to marry YOU"
"Ohl" said Bessie, with start
Listen" he went on, hoarsely, his words
gathering force as he proceeded, as is the way
even with uncultured people when they speak
from the heart. "Listenl l love you, Bessie
l nave loved you for three years. Every
time have seen you l have loved you more.
Don't say me nay-you don't klSw how /
love you, dream of you every night; some
times dream that hear your dress rustling,